[One of these may be laughable now but even back when, I knew nothing – may be an earthquake or a flood of Noah-proportion – could stop the elections but holding your breath about what-next in the very fluid situation we have right now may be unwise.

While the Naira has not been officially devalued, those in the know do know that you pay more Naira today to purchase a US dollar – or other currencies than back a mere three months ago demonstrating that hope might have sprung eternal for me when I blogged on the devaluation denial back in March, but hei, this is Nigeria where right is wrong and wrong is also wrong.

As for the Bode Georges of Nigeria’s political stage, the public is fed one tantalizing report after another about massive stealing that seems to get a lot of newsprint ink and air time but NEVER really a conviction.

Meanwhile, states cannot pay the minimum wage while governors are not exactly feeling what the masses are feeling, and are asking that the usual masquerade of phantom “subsidy” be removed. Unbelievable that these guys are not answerable to the masses they rule. Who will rescue the masses?

Below are comments on subjects in bold]

We are not ready for Change by 234NEXT, Feb. 25, 2011:

Posted by TOLA ADENLE

We may not have been ruled by one person as in each of the falling dominoes [Middle East] but we have been ruled by ONE IDEA: sharing the nation’s wealth by a few while pretending at democracy but always ensuring that political party “differences” – none is apparent – never go far enough to topple the apple cart. This non-dictatorial pretense-at -”democracy” cannot succeed as is.

The cyclical elections will come and go and while the principal actors may slightly change, each new batch is more daring because EFCC or not, looters never get just rewards. Govs-to-be even make campaign promises NOT to probe predecessors!

What next? The only way out excludes the coming elections in spite of it having gobbled what must be more than the GNP of many African countries. Without renegotiating this forced union of different nationalities with almost divergent values, a renegotiation that MUST include a proper headcount, we’ll keep applying expensive paint over a building that cannot be saved because its foundation is very weak. Does Dr. Jonathan seem to get IT by okaying NINE fed univs at this time? Is this not watering down an already-battered tertiary education? How about tenure-elongation gifts to some govs which seem to contradict an earlier ruling? Are there connections btwn these & coming elections?

We do not need the strong center as many have been saying for decades because that’s the main reason for the madness re zoning of presidency as it’s a winner-takes-all. Neither do we need American-style presidential system that, in our case, throws up for the most part, dredges of society in politics. The do-or-die is because of stupendous wealth that awaits he/she who can rustle needed certificates together, get a godfather …

It’s not too late to stop the elections which we all know are not going to be free or fair but would worsen the existing problems because the basic problems must be solved before we can move forward.
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THE NATION’s Palladium: JONATHAN SOWS DISCORD IN THE SOUTHWEST
TOLA ADENLE on 13/02/2011 20:19:55, on

Dr. Goodluck thinks the easiest way to “CAPTURE” the southwest is by repeatedly regurgitating (to eventually justify the rigging that can only yield a PDP victory in the region) the voodoo demographic statistics of the discredited Obasanjo census that has Oyo State with approximately 5.6 million when Ibadan alone has perhaps as much as that, AND his native Bayelsa, an almost one-town state with 1,703,358 awarded figure (half of the 3.4m awarded to Ondo State with big towns like Akure, Ondo, Ikare, Owo, Okitipupa, Omuo-Akoko, Ikare); that same voodoo census AWARDED 2,384,212 to Ekiti, a mere 600,000 more than the Doctor’s Bayelsa which, anybody who has visited, knows is impossible with Ikere, Ado, Omuo, Ikole, Ijero, Efon-Alaaye, Ifaki, etcetera all in Ekiti.

If this president wants to encourage insurrection, Zoology or not as his major, he better remembers it’s going to be a two-edge sword: Lagos’ “50 percent of the people not from the Southwest” and Ogun’s “about 25 percent” non-Yoruba are being set up by a man who is supposed to be a symbol of the whole country once he becomes president, rigged in or not. Being conversant with the country, I’ve always wondered, for example, why all the vegetables, e.g. carrots, cabbage, onions AND grains and peppers end up in this region while other areas with more people get less.

While many people in Yorubaland encouraged and protected many Ibos during the Biafran War-induced exodus (including this blogger), the Southwest did not feel the exodus and will not feel it IF the president decides to fan the ember of disaffection, and people who have been co-existing in peace all these days are suddenly pitched against each other. Left to the average Yoruba person, they’d rather do without this forced union.

BODE GEORGE 234NEXT,

[Christ Church, Marina Thanksgiving]
Posted by TOLA ADENLE on Mar 02 2011
Dr. Jonathan is definitely NOT one of the many groups to which I, like most Nigerians, belong but worse, I’m beginning to wonder how long the Anglican Church – like many “Christian” churches – can hold on to the belief that it represents Anglicans like me. Christ Church Marina deserves to be slapped with “the audacity of shamelessness” moniker even more than BG. Officer George is not, pardon me, has not behaved like a rehabbed “sinner” as the church might want to claim as basis for the IDUPE. The churches have money as the bottom line.

IMF denies recommending Naira devaluation
234NEXT
Posted by TOLA ADENLE on Mar 06 2011
Well, no matter the language in which the supposedly “more flexible approach to the exchange rate” being recommended is couched, it was kite-flying which has deservedly died on arrival

We are not being stubborn on Naira devaluation, Central Bank of Nigeria ,234NEXT
Posted by TOLA ADENLE on Mar 08 2011
Nigerians should ensure this fight to maintain what is left of the Naira’s value is not left to Alhaji Sanusi alone. Buhari/Idiagbon, a military govt. rejected it and the masses were in support. Our people must be educated about low Naira to foreign currencies value as not just affecting those who travel but everybody, even hawkers. We export MAINLY one item, petroleum, and it is indexed in dollars. Lower Naira value will not therefore fetch us more money – Naira or foreign but will impoverish our people while enhancing those of others – countries, expats here and, of course, politicians. The politicians will not object as most spend foreign exchange here.

Independent Candidacy
Sahara Reporters: Submitted by tola adenle on June 6, 2011 – 17:10.
I’ve wondered aloud somewhere else if Nigeria’s “lawmakers” realize or understand the gains they stand to reap from independent candidacy. A good and trusted NA member could run from a federal House Constituency which is reasonably small without needing more than the support of voters most of whom would be readily accessible to him/her. Ditto even the Senate, during campaigns. Godfathers could become history. Big money politics would still be useful but a poor candidate could defeat a rich one when a rich party man and the poor Ind. Candidate one go to sell their candidacy to the public. Mr. Chukwuemeke is right; Perot scored over 20% which handed the victory to Clinton over Bush I and the twinkle in the old man’s eyes as he danced to “Crazy …” showed he achieved his goal of getting Bush out!